There is nothing like the Hotel du Cap Eden-Roc during the summer time. You can almost stay the entire vacation at the hotel, but alas you always end up venturing out. One of the most classic places in the South of France is Bacon. This long-time restaurant is known to have the best bouillabaisse in the South of France. Bouillabaisse is a traditional Provençal soup is known for its intense flavor from the seafood in the dish. So, part of the secret behind the taste of this soup is to use super fresh seafood. The other essential component is making rouille, a saucy garlicky mayonnaise that is the ultimate accoutrement. This is the bouillabaisse recipe that will bring you right to the South of France.

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

1 ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 ½ cups French bread, crust removed, diced
5 garlic cloves, minced and mashed into a paste
¾ teaspoon red chili flakes
1 large egg yolk
2 shallots, minced
1 small yellow onion, chopped fine
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 bay leaves
¼ cup fennel fronds, chopped fine
4 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded, chopped
1 lb. new potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters
1 teaspoon saffron threads
½ cup white wine
2 quarts fish stock
3 lbs. cleaned mixed white fish, such as halibut, sea bass, cod, striped bass, and red snapper, cut into 3-inch pieces
Mussels, scrubbed and debearded
Cockles, scrubbed and rinsed
2 tablespoons parsley, minced
Kosher salt, to taste

Directions

The base of this bouillabaisse recipe is the rouille, which thickens the soup. In a food processor, add bread, garlic paste, chili flakes, egg yolk, ¼ teaspoon saffron. Blend for 30 seconds, then slowly drizzle in 1 cup of oil. Reserve rouille for soup.

Make the Broth

The next part of the recipe is to make the soup of your bouillabaisse recipe. In a large stockpot, heat ¼ cup oil on medium and add shallot, onion, and a large pinch of salt. Cook until onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Add sliced garlic, lemon zest, and bay leaves and cook an additional minute. Add fennel fronds, tomatoes, potatoes, ¾ teaspoon saffron, wine, and stock. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.

Time to Cook the Seafood

The next step in the bouillabaisse recipe is to cook your seafood. You start by adding the thickest pieces of fish to soup first.  Allow the fish to simmer for 2 minutes. Next, add mussels and simmer for 3 minutes, then the cockles. Once your seafood is cooked, sprinkle in parsley when all mussels and cockles have opened. Discard those that have not. Adjust seasoning.

The last part of this bouillabaisse recipe is to add ½ cup of soup broth into rouille and mix well. Portion out six servings of soup and add a healthy spoonful of rouille to each serving.

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